Charge treating device for internal combustion engines



Dec. 4, 1934. D. 1 covYEow CHARGE TREATING DEVICE FOR INTERNL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed om. 21, 1955 4545 4I fz" \\\y"\\` WIW WMA 0004700 l N "UNITEn Asfr-Mss y i t. iseazee l GHARGETREATING nevicaFonminimaler.A

ooMBUs'rroN internas` y Daniel L; Covyeow, Chicagmilll.

1d properfpositidn 191,135 form of "the device of myinventionr 'l Patented Dec. 4, 1934 PATENT `OFFICE:

Application october 21, 1933, serialluo. 694,629

" 4 claims.l A (o1. 261.199.) i.

This: invention relates tolinternal combustion engines, and more particularly to the treatment ofthe fuel charge, the 'principle object being to prevent the? accumulation of `carbon deposits 5 within the combustion chambers and` cylinders 5210. Letters Patent "No.1A 1,9i8,898, issued to me on July iafieas. l t l "An object has to provide'novel kand im-4 provedfmeans for the positioning of thewick elements land permanent: retention of the same in An obiect alsolhas been toprovide: novel and improved means 'for preventing contact of more or lesssoli'dmatter with thewiokV elements, and to enhance in"general'the ellective `operation of 20 themeansorfpieventing the accumulationfof fcarbon deposits within thbombustionychambers and-I cylinders", and of' internal A*ooxribustion engines. l "The invention also has `for@` anobject the pro- 2i vision of" means of"` the character described which will be simple'fof constructiomeasy ofunanu-` facture, and relativelyl inexpensive; lltesiclesV `being `sinr1p`1eof assembly? f A y i Y Others or the obj ectsi and advantages attained dal) willherenaftermoreIullyappearl' Y The invention will best. understood.byrefer` 'eriee to theaecompany'ingdrawing. forming a part of this speciflcatioriyan'ddn which:` Fig."1 is a verticalsectional view ofapreferred 11940 Fig.4 isa plan sectional view, taken on the Patent herenbefore referredtogtoswhich referencefis made, to-wit,`` with' an intake manifold and exhaust manifold which may be located on the same sidel of the engine` block, and a carbu- -retor""connected tofasouree, ofvhydrocarbon fuel U50 supply andprovidedjwitlr the usual throttle; valve arm and operating rod and other well` known elements "The oarburetor and4 the other coope if eratir1"g"adjunets4 may be adjustedin the usual way for *the `proper operation ofthe engine, as

1F55 thoughvthe device` oi the present invention were not applied. In the practical adaptation and association of the invention as described in the accompanying drawing the apparatus includes a liquid, supply receptacle 1'7 which may be a glass jar', provided with ascrew cap 18. The liquid contents ofthe jar may be either plain water, or a mixture of water and alcohol, or other suitable liquid., which may be atomized and sprayed into the fuel mixture entering the combustion chamber of the engine. The screw cap 18` has a centrai opening' in which is fitted a, nipple member 19 having a shoulder 20. The nipple member 19 secured, in` place. relative to the screw cap A18 by virtue. of acap nut 21 which threads: on` nipple member 19 to cooperate` with the shoulder 20 of the nipple member 19 to lock the nipple to the capi -Thewcap nut 21 has a` reduced extension 22 atlits: lower end which is internally threaded for engagement with the upper end of a main wick tube 23,whcl1 is provided with threads 24. -The tube 23 ,in theconcrete exemplication shown has its upper end terminating with theupper vend of the reduced extension 22. At the lower extremity of the tube 23the same is provided with apertures 25 constituting ports for a purpose 4which will hereinafter beevident. A wick. positioning Jtubev26 extends into and is secured by an annular body of solder27 to the main wick tube 23, as is particularly shown in Fig. 2; The Wick positioning `tube `26 extends from. approximately the At` the bottom 28` which scoiled or looped once and has arms 29. `The spring 28 is Vlocated inside the lower 4portion of the tube and its arms extend upwardly a distance therefrom to clamp against the Wall of theA tube, asis particularly shown by Figs. 2` and 4.

A wick 30 `has, an end 31, shown particularly in Fig. 1, and the Wick leads therefrom into the `interior of the wick positioning tube 26 and down- .around the.` outside. of the wiel:` positioning'` tube 26 and locks the ends between the 4Wire and the tube, as. particularly shown in Fig. A1.` Adapted to be secured to. the lower end, of the main wick tube 23 is a gauze or mesh guard 35 which may Rossum be of frustro-conical shape, having a gauze bottom 36, making the guard entirely closed when secured to the end of the main wick tube 23 by means of a coil of wire 37. The screen or guard 35 functions to prevent the entrance of solid matter into the tube 23, and at the same time permits the passage of the liquid therethrough into the tube, the shape of the guard being particularly effective for this purpose. If the bottom of the guard becomes clogged, the liquid may gain entrance into the interior of the tube and to the wick through the cylindrical wall, and alsov through the small apertures 25 hereinbefore referred to.

Mounted within the nipple member 19 is a supplemental nipple member 38 which is detachably secured thereto by a suitable coupling member 39. Extending downwardly through the supplemental nipple member 38 is a nozzle member 40, turned angularly as at 41, the nozzle member 40 being positioned centrally in the supplemental nipple member 38 by means of a coil of wire 42, as is particularly shown in Fig. l. The nozzle member 40 extends into a T member 43 having a leg 44, by which it is secured to the nozzle 40 by means of a body of solder 45,.the member 40 extending upwardly throughthe leg 44 and turned as shown in Fig. 1 into a central horizontal bore 46 in the T-shaped member 43. The T-shaped member 43 is secured by means of a coupling 47 to the supplemental nipple member 38. y Extending through the nozzle member 40, as particularly shown in Fig. 1, and freely slidable yet restricted, is the stem 48 of a gravity valve 49 which may be vsupported at rest on valve rest members 50, the valve rest members comprising inwardly turned portions of the lower end of the wall of the supplemental nipple member 38, forming in the concrete exempliiication sho-wn a pair of horizontallugs or bearings, as particularly shown in Fig. 3.

The jar 17 may bel suitably supported as set forth in the Letters Patent hereinbefore referred to. l

The T member 43 is attached at one end to a pipe 51, by a coupling member 52,' said pipe being tapped into the fuel intake manifold at some vconvenient point, preferably centrally of the manifold and between the carburetor andthe places where the manifold communicates with the combustion chambers of the engine. The pipe 51 may be attached to the stem portion of the manifold, and a suitable pet cock or cutoff valve 53 may be provided in the pipe'51, between the nozzle member 40 and the place of connection with the fuel intake manifold. The pet cock or cutoiic Valve is normally open and'only closed when it may be desired to dispense l'with the apparatus of the present invention and in making adjustments of the lcarburetor and other adjuncts for the particular fuel mixture desired for the operation of `the engine, which is done regardless of the application and use of the present invention. y

At the end of the T member 43, opposite to the end at which the pipe 51 is attached, is a reducing cap 54 which izouples the T member- 43 to a reducing pipe 55 by means also of a coupling 56, said pipe 55 being in turn attached to the delivery end portion of an air heating element (not shown). f

Air is carried from the heating element in a highly heated condition to the nozzle member 40. The liquid in the jar may pass through the screen and be carried upwardly through the main wick tube 23 and the wick positioning tube 26 by the capillary action of the wick 30. It will be understood that the valve member has a plain disc-like head, and a central stem portion which ts loosely in the bore of the nozzle member 40, so that while there is free slidability, yet there is at the same time a restricted space between the stem 48 and the surrounding wall of the nozzle member 40. It should also be understood that the valve member 49 and the lower end portion of the nozzle member 40 are not formed with exact nicety for a perfectly fitted seating engagement, but rather they are somewhat roughly formed so that when the valve member 49 is seated against the end portion of the nozzle member 40 there is no complete stoppage of the passageway through the nozzle member, but only restricted checking of the flow is afforded. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, due to the vacuum in the pipe 51 created by the suction of the engine in operation, the liquid which is brought up into the nipple member 19 by capillary action of the wick 30 in the main tube 23 and the wick positioning tube 26, is taken off in small particles and drawn into the tube 51 and converted into a heated vapor in the tube 51; and the aerated vapor is eventually carried into the combustion chambers of the engine and commingled with the fuel mixture from the carburetor in the intake manifold.

It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that there Vis no likelihood of the wick being drawn downwardly into the jar 17 when the engine is shut off by virtue of the arrangement provided including the springs which lock the wick in place. The arrangement insures the proper permanent positioning of the wick in place, and the screen guard arrangement and apertures will function to prevent the entrance of any solid matter into the tube.- ,The result is that the liquid contents of the jariwill be satisfactorily atomized and sprayed into the fuel mixture entering the combustion chamber of the engine.

By the use of the apparatus of the present invention in the operation of the engine the lexplosive fuelmixture is not only humidied to such an extent that accumulation of carbon deposit within the combustion chambers and engine cylinders. is greatly minimized and a greater economical effect in fuel consumption and great power and high efficiency are attained in the operation of the engine, but also the accomplishment of these results is insured.

It is desired to emphasize that the features shown are merely concrete exemplications of the principle of my invention, and that these features, such as the means for locking the wick in place and the screen guard, may be varied considerably. It is to be understood that the particular construction and arrangement shown in the drawing is for the purpose only of illustrating a practical adaptation of the invention,and the structure may be modified without departing from the spirit and scope of `my invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of yconstruction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An atomizing device of the character described, comprising a liquid supply receptacle, a supply pipe for conveying the atomized vapor to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a main wick tube extending within said receptacle, a closure member for said receptacle, a nipple connection between said supply pipe and said wick tube, a nozzle member in said nipple connection, a mesh guard for the lower extremity of said wick tube, a wick extending through said wick tube, and spring means for clamping the lower extremity of said wick in said wick tube.

2. An atomizing device of the character described, comprising a liquid supply receptacle, a supply pipe for conveying the atomized vapor to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a main wick tube extending within said receptacle, a closure member for said receptacle, a nipple connection between said supply pipe and said wick tube, a nozzle member in said nipple connection, a mesh guard for the lower extremi ity of said wick tube, a wick extending through said wick tube, spring means for clamping` the lower extremity of said wick in said wick tube, and means interposed between said nozzle member and said nipple connection and adapted to serve as a centering` device.

3. An atomizing device of the character described, comprising a liquid supply receptacle, a supply pipe for conveying the atomized vapor to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a main wick tube extending within said receptacle, a closure member for said receptacle, a nipple connection between said supply pipe and said wick tube, a nozzle member in said nipple connection, a mesh guard for the lower extremity of said wick tube, a wick extending through said wick tube, spring means for clamping the lower extremity of said wick in said wick tube, and a Valve mounted between said wick tube and said supply pipe.

4. An atomizing device of the character cle-1 scribed, comprising a liquid supply receptacle, a supply pipe for conveying the atomized vapor to the intake manifold of an internal combustion engine, a main wick tube extending within said receptacle, a closure member for said receptacle, a nipple connection between said supply pipe and said wick tube, a nozzle member in said nipple connection, a mesh guard for the lower extremity of said wick tube, a wick extending through said wick tube, spring means for clamping the lower extremity of said wick in said wick tube, means interposed between said nozzle member and said nipple connection and adapted to serve as a centering device, and a valve mounted between said wick tube and said supply pipe. 

